Aldi sees a doubling of annual profits and a 40.6 per cent leap in sales

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Harriet Green

Budget supermarket Aldo has announced a 40.6 per cent increase in sales last year, rising to £3.8bn, with profit doubling from £70.5m to £157.9m, moving away from the pack of other UK supermarkets in terms of growth.

With a growing middle class clientele and one million extra customers coming through the doors of its 500 stores, the company has tripled its workforce and installed more checkouts.

Roman Heini, joint managing director, told The Daily Telegraph: "We have always been seen as a top-up shopping destination and that has changed now. Most shoppers see us today as a weekly shopping destination."

The German chain, on the back of 2012's strong performance, is also spending £400m opening 34 new stores in the UK in 2013 and 2014.

Aldi will be enticing Christmas shoppers this year with cut-price lobster, Serrano ham and a three-bird roast.